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Scientific writing: Difference between "almost" and "nearly"

To choose the right word from a pair or a group of words with similar meaning, we may consult a dictionary of synonyms. However, there are words that are so similar in…
Scientific writing: Difference between "almost" and "nearly"
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Is it acceptable to use first person pronouns in scientific writing?

Novice researchers are often discouraged from using the first person pronouns I and we in their writing, and the most common reason given for avoiding the use of the…
Is it acceptable to use first person pronouns in scientific writing?
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Scientific writing: Difference between "namely," "such as," and "including"

Using such expressions as “for example,” “for instance,” and “including” correctly is important. This article explains these terms and how to use them appropriately…
Scientific writing: Difference between "namely," "such as," and "including"
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Getting the tenses right: Materials and methods section

Many authors struggle with the usage of tenses in their research paper. This post discusses tense usage in specific sections of the manuscript to help authors write with…
Getting the tenses right: Materials and methods section
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Scientific writing: Avoid starting sentences with a number or abbreviation

When writing a research paper, you have to consider several matters of style. This article discusses the use of abbreviations and numbers in academic writing. …
Scientific writing: Avoid starting sentences with a number or abbreviation
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Scientific communication: Using "Dear Mr." or "Dear Ms." in letters

In writing to academics and scientists, perhaps the solution is simple enough: use Dear Dr Tanaka or Dr Smith or whatever surname or family name your correspondent has…
Scientific communication: Using "Dear Mr." or "Dear Ms." in letters
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Scientific writing: "A number of" and "The number of"

Scientific writing often poses a challenge to non-native English authors. While writing papers, authors often face grammatical problems. Let's look closely at one of the…
Scientific writing: "A number of" and "The number of"
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Using "et al." for in-text citations in research papers

It is rare for a single researcher to publish a paper all by herself or himself; most research papers have several or many authors, and the average number of authors for…
Using "et al." for in-text citations in research papers
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Reading progressively difficult texts can improve researchers' English language competency

Many non-native English authors wish to improve their fluency in English to write better research papers and target international journals. This article discusses how…
Reading progressively difficult texts can improve researchers' English language competency
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Avoid the most common errors of grammar in research papers

Studying English grammar will probably help you eliminate many common errors of grammar from your writing—but it is unlikely that, as a researcher, you will actually…